Lock-picking 101

Among the helpful civic classes the Oakland, Calif., city government set up earlier this year for residents was one on how to pick locks, supposedly to aid folks who'd accidentally locked themselves out of their homes. Lock-picking kits were even for sale after class. Some residents were aghast, since Oakland's burglaries increased 40 percent in 2012. Complained one, “What’s next? The fundamentals of armed robbery?” In February, Mayor Jean Quan apologized, canceling the class.